4 Stages of Cognitive Development
Susie’s Corner
4 Stages of Cognitive Development
When French psychologist Jean Piaget first published his theory of cognitive development in 1952, it was considered a bit controversial. Up until that point, most experts believed that children had no cognition until they were old enough to learn to speak. But Piaget’s observation of children interacting with the world around them led him to believe that cognitive development comes from the child, not external factors such as parents, peers and society.
Piaget proposed that children weren’t simply smaller, less intelligent adults, but rather individuals who simply thought differently as they grew and developed in stages. Even Albert Einstein, the theoretical physicist considered to be one of the smartest people on the planet at the time, acknowledged Piaget’s theory to be “so simple, only a genius could have thought it.” Considered that Piaget published his first scientific paper at just 11 years old, it’s likely an accurate label.
Identifying and Understanding the Four Stages
As changes in cognitive processes and abilities develop from birth to adulthood, we may be able to witness specific examples of each of the following stages of cognitive development:
• Birth to 2 years: Sensorimotor Stage
During this period, infants and toddlers experience the world through sensory experiences and object manipulations. They begin to realize that their actions affect things around them and that they are separate beings from the people and objects around them. They learn through sucking, looking, grasping, and listening, and that things continue to exist even if they can’t see them all the time (i.e. “object permanence”). In addition to crawling and walking, this is typically the stage in which infants and toddlers begin to learn through language and engage in early representational thought.
• Ages 2 to 7: Preoperational Stage
Building on the foundation of language development, children in this stage are continuing to develop thinking and language skills, though only in concrete terms. They continue to develop their understanding of words and pictures that represent objects, but also begin to think symbolically. Although the preoperational stage tends to be quite egocentric, children in this stage are starting to look at things through the point of view of others. Logic may still be a struggle, but it’s beginning to develop.
• Ages 7 to 11: Concrete Operational Stage
This vital stage of development is when thinking really begins to become more organized and logical. As children begin using reasoning and inductive logic, there may still be struggles with hypotheticals and abstract concepts. During the concrete operational stage, children are better at thinking about how others might feel and recognizing that not everyone shares their same opinions, thoughts, and feelings.
• Ages 12 and up: Formal Operational Stage
Around age 12, most children can think abstractly, use deductive logic and reasoning, even around hypothetical problems. Teens may be capable of wrestling with moral, political, social, ethical, and philosophical issues that require higher thinking. As young adults, this stage tends to see a boost in problem-solving skills and the ability to think more scientifically about the world they live in.
Two Parts to Smart
Piaget’s 4 Stages of Cognitive Development were based on the idea that children don’t just acquire knowledge, but also display intelligence. This dual-component understanding is something we often refer to as the “two parts to smart.” Unlike rote memorization of material (knowledge), intelligence is a measurement of cognitive skills, including logic & reasoning, processing speed, memory, auditory and visual processing, and attention. We use these brain skills to think, learn, read, remember, pay attention, and solve programs. Each stage of cognitive development outlines the typical development of these skills in children.
While knowledge can be acquired through the memorization of history facts, math formulas, and the scientific elements, cognitive skills can be boosted with targeted brain training. To learn more about how one-on-one brain training may be able to help boost your child’s cognitive skills, visit www.learningrx.com.